judas.

mumu blog for astralis hq. penned by luna. she/her, mun + muses 18+

[lupusrcx]

Noah: Hey, you around?

Noah: We both know I hate texting, but I don't want to call you just in case you're with one of those Fallen asshats.

Noah: I'm going to do a supply drop for you tonight, I've got some shit for you that might come in handy. A gun, too.

Noah: Have you found her yet? The pup?

[lupusrcx]

Raphael: Hi. Where the fuck are you?

Raphael: It's supposed to be boys night, I marked it down on my fucking calendar.

Raphael: Are you really standing me the fuck up?

Raphael: Who are you with right now?

[lupusrcx]

He hadn’t expected to like her this much honestly, it was one thing to be attracted to a bitch---especially if said bitch just so happened to be a young, adorable little omega werewolf pup with the ripest little peach of an ass that he’d ever fucking seen---but it was something else entirely for him to appreciate anything past that. There were very few people after all, that Raphael Deerling actually enjoyed as people and not objects, or toys even, and the list essentially started with Luca D’Amore and ended at... well, his younger sister and then Giselle Sonnenblume, didn’t it? He was estranged from the rest of his family, maintained a careful distance even from the youngest of the bunch in order to avoid the careful hold he had on the Fallen tainted, and he was all the more happier because of it. He didn’t need anyone else, there was no shortage of gorgeous, bodacious little dancers employed by the Inferno to warm his cock whenever he liked.

But Tatiana Valentina, all she was supposed to be was perhaps the most valuable asset the Inferno had ever possessed, an asset that was incredibly rare solely due to her status as a coveted omega but made even more precious due to being the Russian Bratva’s tiny tsarina. Revenge had never tasted quite as sweet as the day that he and Luca finally succeeded in kidnapping the blue-eyed blonde, sweeter still was the exquisite little creature herself. Her maidenhood might not have been his to take---he wasn’t an animal, and he’d need to have her worked over by an alpha wolf first---but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t have a spot of fun with her first. After all, it had been so much trouble just to get her delicious rump here to begin with...

Still, he was both mildly irritated and incredibly intrigued by the realization that, even when her mouth wasn’t full of his cock, tongue, or fingers, he wasn’t... annoyed by her mere existence the way that he was with most others. Now, for instance, he’d just finished sharing said cute little mouth back and forth between him and Luca, and despite the fact that he’d just came---and heavily, at that---he didn’t immediately want her to leave him alone with his brother-in-all-but-blood. How strange. “Keep that up, Tanechka, and you’ll have every man in our club wrapped around one of those tiny little fingers of yours,” he said in a lazy, slightly hoarse drawl, he leaned back against the headboard of his king-sized bed and tossed one of his bare, muscular arms behind him, with his other hand he rubbed languidly at his eyes before turning to look at Luca, who was seated alongside him in the same position. Ah, and that post-orgasm haze of his...

“What do we think?” he asked lightly, his voice was low and but pleased as he reached down, almost absent-mindedly, to run his fingers through Tatiana’s bouncy curls, it wasn’t just any woman who could handle not just one but both of the co-leaders of the Fallen, and their newfound little plaything had performed admirably. Casually, with practiced---feigned---ease, he nudged his shoulder into Luca’s and finished with, “Even with her lack of experience, she’s got a throat like velvet, and she makes the sweetest little mews when you stretch it open. That’ll just about complete her oral training, hm?” @dvrklords​ @kittcns​

[03hrs]

[lupusrcx]

@dvrklords​

[emmrichvolkaryn]

CAROLINE FORBES & STEFAN SALVATORE The Vampire Diaries (S2E02)

[lupusrcx]

@kittcns

[aseaofquotes]

[lupusrcx]

@kittcns

[wnq-writers]

I want to graze your lips with my fingers. Are you real? What part of you will I pretend not to love today?

B. E. Barnes (via wnq-writers)

@kittcns @dvrklords

[justaholesir]

JASON MOMOA as Arthur Curry / Aquaman Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) dir. Zack Snyder

[chris-evans]

[lupusrcx]

chris-evans​:

REGÉ-JEAN PAGE in Bridgerton (2020-)

Bonus:

[lupusrcx]

~ disregard everything below this post ~

[lupusrcx]

wickedgxmes​:

Aimee barely had her bearings when it came to the castle. The rose gold estate with its stained glass windows and marble halls was hardly easy to navigate with sight let alone without it and there was only so much she could commit to memory in one setting. So, when the offer had been made for her to be given a tour of the city streets, she had done her best to prologue it. But, there was only so long she could wait until it started to seem suspicious. She knew she should just come clean. She would only be able to keep her vision loss a secret for so long. But, she was already in such a precarious position as is. She was new to court. An outsider and, as much as she would like to hope for the best when it came to her new fiancé and family, she knew better than think that she was anything more than a stranger to them to. They could turn on her in any moment and if she was to open about her blindness before she was able to solidify herself as a leader that may be all she would be defined as. But, she was much more than her eyes and, if she was to be a high lady worth inspiring to, she would need to familiarizing herself with Lumenopolis picturesque streets and affirm her presence upon the Dawn Court residences. 

A sweet semblance of a smile danced across her lips as she held tightly onto that of her escort’s arm. Elias was a man of many guards, often moving with a herd of them following in toe. Something she knew she would need to get used to. But, Aimee, accustom to being left of her own from her last marriage, had been able to convince the court captain into allowing her to reduce the men at her side down to two. One who was deep into an explanation of history of the court, pointing out glistening building after building, while the other followed a few feet behind, staying enough away as to not drawn attention to her or themselves, but close enough to spring into action at any given moment. The guards were sweet and the one escorting her’s explanation of the bustling city shops was helpful to say the least. And yet, Aimee found herself feeling a tinge of jealously. 

She had come to the gilded city for a fresh start. A chance to for something more. For respect,  for freedom, for a chance to be heard and be part of the conversations, and for a title that she wouldn’t have to worry about someone trying to take it out from under her. Her late husband’s brother wouldn’t have stopped until he had found away to take his family’s dukedom back. She was already a widow. She was already lonely beyond belief with no more family, but that of her step-siblings whom she was never all too close to and she would have soon had nothing, if she was to stay within the Jeweled City. Not if her home was taken from her. But, here, in the land of crooked cliffs, lush meadows and a glittering lake, she could be the woman she longed to be. The woman she had lost somewhere along the way. But, the more she heard about the way the brilliant shades of pink and gold streaked across the sky, casting a prism of brilliant, soft light down onto the towns below, the more she wished she could be able to see it for herself. Especially since growing up, she had always heard of how tacky and indecent the Dawn Court was. But, from the guard’s far too winded speech of the city’s beauty, she found herself curious if maybe what she had been told was only one side of the story.

As the sun began to fall and twilight slowly swept through the streets, Aimee was about to propose that they turn back. Only before she could, she felt a hand reach out and gently brush her shoulder. “Oh! Pas de problème,” Aimee gave the man an apologetic, but warm smile as she carried on, “Although, I must apologize. I don’t know how much help I will be? I am learning the city myself, I am afraid. But, maybe one of my friends may be able to help you?” She offered up. But, before she could bring herself to call back to one of her guards, her brows scrunched into that of a small frown. The man’s voice seemed rough and not french like that of hers and yet she found her cheeks heating at the notes of familiarity. “Je suis désolé, but I- I’m sorry. It’s just your voice. It’s-” She knew that voice. “Deimos? Is that… is that you?” Her words were no more than a soft whisper as her pupils desperately darted back and forth.

It reflected poorly not on his skills as a Spymaster but his well honed senses as a warrior that he hadn’t instantly recognized the woman he’d inadvertently approached. Now, even in the looming dusk that had fallen upon the city, it was plain as day to Deimos that none other than Aimee Fontaine was the one standing before him. A life forgotten flashed through his mind in jagged fragments, each of which tore through his body like razor sharp glass, how long had it been since he’d seen the woman that had simultaneously broken his heart and claimed it as her own? She’d been exiled so very long ago, and for good reason, and the very last thing he’d heard was that she planned to ascend to the the throne of Dawn Court, to stand proudly alongside one of the most despicable, disgusting men that had ever oozed his way throughout the realm. The second to last thing he’d heard from her however was that she didn’t want to marry him. That she couldn’t, not when she’d already accepted an offer from the court that had turned her traitor.

Of course she was here now. Of course she was the one that he’d mistakenly approached. Of course. Deimos drew back his hand as if he’d been burnt by the sun, Aimee however began to speak as if she hadn’t recognized him at all, as if he truly was a stranger looking for directions in the vast streets of Lumenopolis. Her blatant disregard for him---the way that she had seemingly been able to erase his entire existence from memory---stabbed through Deimos like a knife, digging a deep, bloody wound into him that he was certain would never heal. He cleared his throat roughly, preparing to excuse himself from her presence without another word, it was only then that Aimee’s sudden stammer caught him off guard. What did she mean, his voice---? 

Did he really look so different in the dark? And why couldn’t she seem to focus on his face? Her wide hazel eyes shot back and forth but not once settled upon anything in particular, and in her lost, disjointed french, he could tell that she was upset, perhaps not just by the sight of him, but by the fact that she hadn’t realized who he was at first. Against his own best wishes, and his own incredible self control, Deimos was... concerned. Worried about her. “Has that husband to be of yours meddled so much with your mind that you can’t recognize a familiar face?” Deimos’s voice came out sounding low and halting, his jaw was clenched and he had to look away from Aimee, from the classic beauty of her face and the long, lovely line of her neck. “Don’t worry, I’m not here for you. I’m not here for him, either.” He didn’t need to spit out the word for her to understand who he was talking about, his distaste for Elias and Dawn Court in general went further back than Aimee’s betrayal. “I’m leaving in the morning, Aimee. Just looking for somewhere to spend the night. What are you doing outside of your castle?” 

[lupusrcx]

theartofruling​:

Rowan had turned around several times enroute to her destination. She’d stalled and stopped. This had probably caused her guards to roll their eyes and dislike their indecisive, overthinker of a High Lady in this moment. It wasn’t that she didn’t plan to meet Cassian or to stand him up, but rather where they would meet would be emotional overload for her. The memories of the place that was theirs. The place that signified their future, and now it was simply more so a relic and reminder of what never was.

Her nerves were getting the best of her because this was it. It was goodbye to what they had. This was the beginning of the final chapter of a story that Rowan hadn’t thought would see an end, but it also meant the beginning of different path in her life on a new story. Her stubborn heart had rebelled against a fresh path and a different story for so long. For so long, she wanted to simply get over the man that had caused her heart ache. So many days she’d wished that there was a magic pill that would allow her heart to hurt less, for her to simply be able to move on without the incessant “but” that always popped into her mind as she thought there had been hope for reconciliation. Yet decade after decade that had proved to be wrong. She learned there was no magic pill for a shattered heart. She learned to love again - to feel again - but she hadn’t learned how to get over him.

She pushed forward in her journey to him. One weekend, a final few moments that belonged to just them felt right. It felt needed and it felt owed to one another. It was the only way that Rowan could be sure she could move forward by finally saying goodbye to the what if’s, and to put to bed the maybes. Having a weekend of uninterrupted time to do just that was a very poetic and sweet way to close their romantic chapter.

A gasp practically left her as the sight of the cottage came into view old memories and dreams of a life came rushing back to her before her eyes rested on him. A soft smile rested on her lips. “Stand you up?” She repeated the words, shaking her head as her bouncy curls followed the movement, “Never. I would have missed this sight!” She gestures to his shirtless form with a playful smile as she moved closer to him. She’d given her guards a nod to leave. She was safe now.

“I'm glad that you invited me here. Glad you wanted to see me at all. I don’t think I could bear us never speaking again like we did for decades before. And glad for one last weekend with you before…before everything changes.”

He could have stared at her forever, the simple sight of Rowan approaching the cottage they’d once shared set Cassian’s heart aflame. It was so easy in that moment to imagine another world, another life, where she wasn’t just coming to stay with him for the weekend, where this was any other day and she was just coming home. It had been like that once upon a time, hadn’t it? Cassian hunting in the woods for their dinner, Rowan preparing some sort of pie for dessert in the kitchen, he’d kiss her hello before bending her over their dining table and showing her just how much he’d missed her throughout the afternoon. It was next to impossible not to focus on those memories now. He nodded lightly to the guards that escorted her---he was glad that she hadn’t come unaccompanied, of course, but he was damn well ready to have her all to himself. 

Away they went eventually, and the sunlight that spilled in through the treeline caught and sparkled in Rowan’s big, bright eyes, bouncing off her glossy ringlets and casting a warm glow upon her smooth skin. Cassian looked her over appreciatively, with the kind of easy, fond familiarity that could have only been compared to a husband admiring his gorgeous, adorable, drop dead sexy wife. “I know how cold you get come nighttime, sparrow, and I haven’t forgotten your frozen little feet digging into my shins.” It was said good-naturedly, affectionately, and Cassian couldn’t help himself---he stepped close, resting both of his large, calloused hands on the soft, inward dip of her trim waist. He bent his head, and kissed tenderly at her brow. She smelled so good, tasted even better. He knew from experience.

"Hey---I’m the one who should be glad here,” he said firmly, gentle as he brought two fingers beneath her delicate chin and urged her to look up at him. He wanted her to know that she was safe, that was long as he was around, and whether or not she was married, she’d have a home here with him in the woods. “It was my stupidity that led to us not talking for as long as we did. I... I let my grief completely take over everything good in my life, everything that was precious to me.” Cassian’s voice was quiet and contemplative, he sighed and the slight breeze of it ruffled Rowan’s tumbling dark curls. Gingerly, he brought her close, winding his strong arms around her slender frame so that he could draw her into a proper embrace. He murmured into her hair, “I always want to see you. Yesterday, tomorrow. Three hundred years from now. I’ve spent too damn long without you, baby doll, and I’m going to spend the entire fucking weekend showing you just how much I’ve missed you---and treating you the way that you deserve. Sound good?” 

[lupusrcx]

covrtofnightmares​:

nymphcts​:

( HENRYK &&. TATIANA &&. ARES )

@covrtofnightmares​ & @lupusrcx​ ♡ ; henryk & tatiana & ares!!

There never seemed to be any amount of shortage of parties when it came to Spring Court. Tatiana had only just arrived in Avalon City after Viktor had made the cross-country trek earlier on in the week, and the very same day that her presence had been announced in the Deerling Royal Castle, Arielle has fluttered up to her in a flurry of rose petal wings and honey-blonde hair, and had informed her with a great deal of breathless excitement that there would be a ball that evening on behalf of her bunny rabbit, King Cinnabun VI, turning eight years old. Tatiana had been more than a little bit startled, but not at all confused, by the suddenness of the announcement. Ever since the youngest Deerling princess had been old enough to talk, she’d always found some excuse to throw a gala or a soiree; it hadn’t taken a genius to realize that this was done in order to avoid feeling so terribly alone. Up until very recently, after all, Arielle had only been able to rely on found family rather than her biological relations; she had grown up with Apollo and Ares, of course, but to what extent? How much had they truly been there for her?

Not nearly enough, as far as Tatiana was concerned, but that was a conversation to be had with Ares another time. For now, she was taking in the spectacle that was the royal ballroom. In honor of Viktor and Tatiana’s visit, apparently, Arielle had chosen the theme of Winter Wonderland for  King Cinnabun VI ‘s birthday - a decision that actually made a fair bit of sense, considering that the bunny rabbit had been a gifted snow hare from the tsarina’s own court in the first place. The ballroom’s ceiling had been enchanted to appear as a wintry night sky, with stars twinkling darkly up above and soft, barely-there little flurries of snow falling gently through the air; ice sculptures that had been charmed not to melt decorated the expansive space, and there was even a full-sized ice skating rink opposite the dance floor - as per usual, there had been no expense spared.

And, despite Tatiana’s initial insistence that she hadn’t packed for a ball, Arielle had seen to that as well, and waiting in the printsessa’s usual chambers was a glittering gown of ice blue. The sweetheart bodice of the dress clung snugly to Tatiana’s round, perky breasts, the swells of them like supple little crescent moons as they rose prettily above the diamond neckline, and then the gown flared out sweetly at the violin-curve of her full hips, and finally ended at a demure tea-length above her ankles - she was much too short for anything longer, after all, and steps needed to be taken for the delicate, pure-white ice skates Arielle had provided for her as well.

Now, the party was in full swing, and it hadn’t taken long at all for Tatiana to find her way out onto the makeshift frozen lake in the center of the ballroom. Henryk, to her dismay, was supposed to be up in the mountains with James for the rest of the week - something about gathering weaponry from a cache the king consort had kept near his former dwelling - and Ares had accompanied them as well, supposedly for bonding purposes with James. Tatiana was hopeful that, with Henryk there to support him, Ares would be able to develop a meaningful relationship with his father; as far as she was concerned, James Deerling was a wonderful man, and it would have done Ares well to emulate him. After all, Ares had broken Henryk’s heart half a dozen ways, and the War General had spent the last century figuring out what to do with the pieces.

However, with neither her betrothed or her mate to be found, and Viktor seemingly quite invested in the rather up-close and intimate conversation he was engaged in with not just Arielle but her bodyguard, too, Tatiana was left woefully alone, and no amount of pastries or cupcakes seemed to help. She wasn’t the only one aware of her lack of a date for the evening, either - it was just as she was skating along the frozen ice, as graceful as Princess Odette herself, that she felt an unfamiliar hand tap gently upon the back of one small, delicate shoulder. It was - a knight? One of the higher-ranking men in the Spring Court Royal Army? He was young, no more than perhaps twenty-five years old, and he had an open boyishness about him, and a smile that seemed both sheepish and unsure all at once. The tips of his ears were flushed pink, and it appeared as if he was having some trouble with his ice skates; Arielle hadn’t taken into consideration that the people of Avalon City would hardly be accustomed to frosted surfaces.

“Er - so sorry to bother you, your ladyship, but you dropped this.” Rather awkwardly, the knight reached forward, and offered Tatiana a glittering snowflake hairpin - it must have fallen out of her tumble of bouncy, bejeweled curls. “I hope you don’t mind that I wanted to return it to you myself; I know that you have handlers for that sort of thing, but…forgive me for saying, but I’ve been working up the courage to ask you for a dance all night. E - ever since I saw you arrive in that dress, like some sort of - ah, some sort of snow princess, which…now that I’ve said it out loud, makes me sound like a right idiot, doesn’t it?” He laughed nervously and Tatiana echoed the sentiment, gingerly accepting the pearl-and-diamond hairpin he’d found for her and tucking it back into her thick blonde ringlets. Was this bumbling knight to be her company for the evening?

“Spasibo! You are being so kind, and thanking you soooo much for finding Tatia jewelry! It was little bit gift from my popochka before he passed, so is very important to have back.” She dimpled at him sweetly, then, and tucked her fluffy little owlet wings inward so that she could skate a bit closer to him; the knight blinked in shock, clearly having expected a negative response, and placed one hand at the dainty curve of Tatiana’s waist, the other seeking out her tiny fingers to hold. “Just one dance, da? You not seeming very steady on those ice skates of yours, Sir Knight, and I am very much wanting to keeping all of my cute little toes intact, pozhaluysta!” 

.

Arielle was constantly finding excuses to throw parties. Truthfully, Henryk didn’t mind, but he really didn’t want to miss out on whatever scowls Kuzey and Noel were mustering up at the moment. Tonight’s party, for a pet or something equally asinine, was an excellent opportunity for Henryk to interact with the tsarina of the Winter Court, Tatiana Valentina, without drawing too much attention or scrutiny from other members of the Spring Court. Ares would be there too, of course, if only because the Prince of Spring loved a good party (and, of course, his youngest sister, too), so it was certain to be an admittedly interesting evening. Truth be told, Henryk wasn’t entirely certain where he stood with either of them: Tatiana, his mate, and Ares, his dearest friend in the entire realm. There was still so much unsaid between the three of them, and since the entire Autumn Court had erupted into chaos and disarray following the Highwinds Tournament, there was really no telling when the three of them would be able to properly conversate with one another again.

And perhaps it was a streak of selfishness that tore through him, but Henryk was looking forward to slipping into an alcove with Tatiana and kissing her senseless. There was a lot of weight behind being a War General. Sometimes…sometimes, he wanted to be just Henryk.

So when his venture into the mountains with James and Ares came to an early end, Henryk had been informed of the party (and its guests) after returning to the castle. He and Ares had changed out of their riding clothes and into attire more suitable for a party (even if it was for a fucking ancient rabbit that was likely on its last leg) before heading into the fray. The ballroom had been transformed into a frozen wonderland, and Henryk’s eyes barely had to scan the crowded room before he spotted a familiar mop of blonde, bushy hair skating across the ice. A small hint of a smile bloomed across the War General’s features as he stepped forward, only to watch as a familiar man–a knight from Spring’s regiment–stepped forward and began to enter what could only be described as a flirtatious conversation with the tsarina. Henryk, mated and temperamental after being away from his mate for days on end, couldn’t help the scowl that tore its way across his face.

Maybe once upon a time Henryk would have swallowed his loathing and watched the entire event unfold. But not now; not now that he and Tatiana were mated. Henryk was almost certain, as a matter of fact, that he didn’t need to look at Ares to see a similar expression mirrored on his friend’s face. Plunging forward, Henryk moved through the crowd with great ease, earning some wary and uncertain gazes from guests who watched the War General of Spring stalk through the party like a predator in search of its prey.

By the time Henryk had managed to make his way across the ice to her (stupid fucking skates), he was all but seething. There was the man’s hand, wrapped around his mate’s waist, and there were his fingers, wrapped around hers as though they owned some part of her. Henryk moved through the magicked frozen lake and then, as he reached Tatiana and the knight who was all but groping her in the middle of a fucking party, Henryk reached for the back of the man’s collar and plucked him away from the princess. The boy’s head snapped back as Henryk glided in front of him, twisting the man to face the General’s stony gaze as something like ire flickered and smoldered in Henryk’s gaze.

“You seem to have forgotten your place, Donovan,” Henryk managed smoothly, his fingers still curled in the stiff fabric of the man’s uniform. He narrowed his eyes, yanking the knight towards him as something akin to a sneer slipped across his face. Gone was Henryk Wolfe, the tamed General who had grown a bit domestic in the last few months. In its place was the raging monster he had once been.

“Do I need to remind you what happens to men who play with things that don’t belong to them?” Henryk paused, his gaze slipping from the knight’s over to Ares’. “What do you think, Ares? Is there a lesson that needs to be taught here?”

( @lupusrcx​ )

Usually Ares greatly enjoyed the time he was able to spend outdoors, one of the benefits of stepping down from his position as High Lord was the ability to do so far more often than when he’d been manning the throne. However---a trip to the mountains had seemed all fine and dandy when it had been Henryk suggesting it, the accompaniment of his father had been an rather unpleasant addition to said trip. Ares simply didn’t know how to behave around James. It had been easy, once upon a time, to respect him as the man that had aided in overthrowing Erik Newblood and rescuing his mother from a life of torment and abuse, he’d looked to him as a father figure long before he even found out the truth about his heritage. But then, for James to leave, to abandon them all when Ares especially needed him the most, walking away from a newborn baby girl and two brothers who’d been effectively orphaned? Even to Ares, who’d committed many an irreprensible crime, felt as if James’s actions were criminal, unforgivable. 

 And so, by the time they made it back to Deerling Castle, Ares was in a mood to kill. He grumbled endlessly to Henryk as they went about preparing for yet another one of Arielle’s balls, honestly---he loved the little princess to the moon and back, but the thought of dedicating an entire evening to her geriatric pet rabbit did little to alleviate his murderous temperament. Even dressed to the nines in a sleek, pale silver suit with intricate metallic detailing at the lapel---meant to look like fucking snowflakes to honor the winter-theme of the ball, as well as his precious tsarina---there was a dark and stormy cloud above Ares’s head as he and Henryk made their way into the grand ballroom, one that settled upon the prince’s face in the form of a deeply irritated scowl. “Let’s hit up the open bar, kiss Arielle on the cheek, locate my ample-bottomed fiancee, and then leave,” he said thinly to Henryk as they walked into the Winter Wonderland, tugging at his collar irritably before smoothing out the front of his tuxedo with an aggravated huff.

“Where is Tanechka, anyway? There are little desserts meant to look like fat, fluffy snowbirds, usually she’d be all over that sort of thing---” Ares paused and drew short, as usual he and Henryk worked together like a fine-tuned machine, well-oiled and deliberate, and he followed his War General’s gaze towards the frozen lake that had been enchanted in the middle of the ballroom and was currently being used for ice skating. There, in a dress of glittering baby blue that seemed to made of the very frost she was able to create with her bare hands, was the Winter Court princess. Ares blinked. She was... beautiful, undeniably, he often sexualized her appearance, preferring to compliment her admittedly ridiculous ass and the breeding curves of her hips, but it was her sweet, trusting little face he was focused on now, her bouncy curls that had been swept away from her clear, open eyes in a tumbling creation of pale golden blonde...

And the asshole knight trying to coerce her into a dance. “Fucking Donovan.” Ares’s eyes darkened and narrowed, it didn’t take long for both he and his General to find their way into a pair of---matching, he noticed absentmindedly---ice skates, with that they were heading over to the enchanted lake. Tatiana was clearly just humoring the bumbling excuse for a man, afraid to appear rude or unsavory in a kingdom that wasn’t yet her own, but neither he or Henryk had the patience for it, in fact---if anything, Henryk was every bit as irritated by the sight as he was. There really wasn’t any end to his brotherly affection, was there? “Get behind us, Tatiasha,” Ares said evenly, with a clipped nod to his dainty little bride, it did not occur to him in that moment that, if the young printsessa hadn’t appreciated the knight’s advances, she could have just as easily refuted him as she could have blown him away with a blizzard of her own powerful creation.

Either way. Henryk yanked Donovan back by his collar and Ares sneered down at the younger man to say, “A lowly knight, and not even a fully trained one at that, fancying himself a dance with a princess?” A single snap of Ares’s fingers and Donovan would find his hands wound tightly behind his back with dark, inky tendrils of miasma, there really was no getting in between him and Henryk when they were like this, angry and possessive and feeding off of each other in a way that was... well ... admittedly a bit toxic. “The lesson needing to be taught here is simple, brother---young Donovan has forgotten his place, and it’s really the greatest kindness we could offer to reign him back in. What do you think, should we take him outside, strip him naked, and tie him upside down on the castle flagpole and leave him there till morning?” A vicious grin cut across Ares’s face like a knife. “We haven’t done that in a while, have we, General Wolfe?” 

[voxdaemonica]

@lupusrcx​ (Arabella & Henry)

Henry Young was an anomally in Arabella’s life; a constant presence that had been with her for as long as she could possibly recall. Considerate. charming and something of a flirt, her childhood friend was near hopeless when it came to political maneuverings. Yet what he lacked in cunning, he made up for in kindness; a trait that was as rare as a pair-bond with a sea serpent among their kind. Henry was the sort of person who wore his heart out so plainly on his sleeve that it was impossible to think him capable of any sort of deceptions, and it was this sincerity that had the young princess wrapped around his finger in hopeless, confusingly exhilerating ways.

Not that he knew any of that, of course.

Even now, as she waited for him for an appearance that was by all intents little more than a publicity campaign for the Coral Palace, Arabella could feel butterflies of anticipation squeezing her heart in strange, confusing and utterly wonderful ways. It wasn’t uncommon for the High Lady to use the pair of them for her own interests, especially when she was looking to divert the commoners’ attention elsewhere. Yet a small, selfish piece of the princess found herself looking forward to these appearances of theirs, if only so she could play out some of the fantasies that she kept so closely guarded to her heart. There wasn’t much hope in tying down such a free spirit as Henry, but it was nice to pretend that she might be worth the notice.

Arabella tried not to fuss too much with either her petal pink wings or the intricately embroidered hem of her dress; two things she had already spent the morning fretting over. She disliked the decadence required for these outings, but when Henry was involved, it was another story altogether. Thinking about what he would like or what he would say always drove her to check the smallest details, in hope that she might keep his eye on her for just another moment longer. 

When she caught sight of him, feelings of fondness and affection nearly blindsided her. It felt like eons since she last had a semi-private moment with him. “Henry!“ Arabella’s cheeks dusted with pink, hiding the smile that threatened to break free behind a lavendar sleeve. It was unbecoming of a princess to look too eager for anything, even if her heart was practically dancing in her chest. She glided over, grasping one of his larger hands between her own and holding it close with a comfortable familiarity. “I-I missed you. Where have you been?”

[lupusrcx]

Henry had never been so lost, the events of the recent Highwinds Tournament had unravelled into disaster untold, but even before the Resistance’s attack upon Night Court’s High Ruler, he’d already been in hot water himself. He’d been discovered. He’d been careless, he’d had no idea that his human comrades would be infilitating Autumn Court, and had thus been unprepared to hell and back the moment Raymond, of all people, had caught him with his wings out and fully on display. There had been no time for charming explanations, or even a bit of distracting wordplay, Henry had almost been grateful for the ensuing chaos, if only because it had given him a chance to escape. He’d rejoined the Summer Court fae then, his first instinct to protect as many people as he could but his heart had been torn wildly between his own kind and the humans that he’d come to love. Hadn’t he only attended the tournament in the first place to look for Lilianna? She’d been gone for almost two months now, disappeared like a ghost or a cherry blossom on a spring breeze, since then everything else in Henry’s life had followed suit in miserably falling apart.

Well. Almost everything, that was. Somehow, despite her mother’s best efforts to corrupt her, Arabella remained as pure and untouched as the day he’d first met her, so many years when he’d sworn with the utmost honor to protect her at all costs. It wasn’t because he knew who she was, it wasn’t because he knew that she wasn’t Liling’s daughter but rather Lilianna’s sister---it was because Arabella represented all that was potentially good and holy in Summer Court, all that it would have been if not for its treacherous High Lady. And, despite the messiness of his situation and the fact that Raymond was more than likely hunting him down as he lived and breathed, Henry could not bring himself to abandon Arabella even now. Not just because he was her fiance, a title he wasn’t sure meant much more than appearances to her ‘mother’, but because he’d made a promise to himself long ago to free her from Liling’s wrath, to reunite her with Jiang and Lilianna as soon as he was able to. Of course that meant finding Lilianna first...

Game face and all that, he and Arabella were due to make their first public appearance following the tournament, Henry had finally shaved for the first time in a week and with his tailor’s assistance had dressed in a crisp white suit that he’d hopefully be able to make a break for in if the circumstances called for it. Trying not to appear as if he was too furtively watching out for any and all signs of a large, hulking lupine fae, Henry straightened the lapel of his blazer, and marched with all the confidence he could muster towards the palace. He entered the foyer, there was Arabella waiting for him, and he felt his heart come to a dead stop in his chest. She was beautiful, she’d always been beautiful, but sometimes when he looked at her he felt as if he needed to relearn how to breathe. Now was one of those times. “Angelfish!” Heavy feelings of dread and anxiety momentarily lifting off of him, Henry crossed the distance towards her in long, powerful strides, she reached for one of his hands and he did her one better---lifting her up into his lightly muscular arms and lifting her up, he clutched her close even as he twirled her midair.

“I’ve missed you too, love. More than you know,” he murmured as he set her back down on her dainty feet, he lowered his head to press his lips fondly to her brow, inhaling her sweet, summer strawberry scent in an attempt to reassure himself of her well being. All the while his large hands fell to her small waist, securing her safely in place and caring very little for what attention they might have been attracting. “I’ve---ah, I’ve been everywhere, really, your mother keeps me very busy. Not,” he paused to tweak her nose, an act of affection as much as it was a necessary distraction. “that I’m complaining, of course. She kept me out of harm’s way by having me away on an assignment during the Tournament, after all.” A lie, one that he managed to tell with a straight face, but not without guilt. His voice softened as he asked, “Were you hurt in the crossfire, Arabella? I heard about what happened. Bloody awful, all of it.” 

[lucifergifs]

What’s a hooker? Ask your mother.

[firstfullmoon]

I saw violence in anything with a face. I wished for a place big enough for grief & all I got was more grief

— Chen Chen, from “How I Became Sagacious,” in When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities

[sangue-e-luce]

Briar & Ares ( @lupusrcx) 

There was something she was supposed to be doing but Briar couldn’t remember what it was. She made a list in her head of everything she was supposed to do that day as she walked down the main corridor of the palace. She really needed to start writing things down. Even then she would loose the paper and be back in the same position she was in now. She was about to give up and just go find Arielle, when she suddenly remembered. She was supposed to be meeting Arielle to help her come up with some new cookie recipe she wanted to make.

The kitchens were on the other side of the palace and it was going to take a good 15 minutes to get there. She glanced at the watch on her wrist and noticed she was already late. She started running towards the kitchens. She really hoped that no one would be in the corridor and get mad about her running. She turned a corner quickly and came just centimeters away from running straight into Ares. She stopped in her tracks and dipped into a curtsy.

“Sorry Lord Ares, I mean Prince Ares. I know I shouldn’t be running.” She looked up at him. It felt weird to refer to him as a prince instead of lord. It was a big change from what she was use to. She was glad the High Lady of the Spring court was back, but she had grown up with Ares as their High Lord. Every one seemed happy about their High Lady’s return. But she often wondered how Ares was holding up with everything. “Is there anything I can get you? I’m running late, but I’m sure your sister would be okay with it after I told her I was helping you.” 

[lupusrcx]

Well this was a lovely little surprise---it could have been said that, as of late, Ares hadn’t had nearly as much time as he would have liked to spend mingling with the many ladies-in-waiting and handmaidens that made up Deerling Castle, what with all the humdrum surrounding his engagement, his mother’s return, and then the pesky battle that had broken out in Autumn Court not that long ago, but here was one being delivered right before his very eyes in the form of one Briar Scott. She was a pretty little thing, small and slender but with bright, inquisitive hazel eyes, and there was no denying Ares’s slight interest in her throughout the years. She was disappointingly young, though, as much of a scoundrel as he might have been, he refused to fuck a girl before she’d reached her third decade (Tatiana was the exception to this particular rule, as she was for most things), but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t look...respectfully.

“I’m still a lord, darling, you needn’t drop the title. Prince is a bit more of a mouthful anyway, isn’t it?” he asked with a cluck of his tongue before he reached forward---steadying one of Briar’s delicate wrists with a strong, but gentle hand. She’d curtsied just a moment ago but he helped her upright nonetheless, giving her a cursory once over to ensure that she hadn’t injured herself during her run. Raziel only knew that the last thing he wanted to deal with was a work insurance payout.

“You’re late for a meeting with my sister?” he asked with a tilt of his head, his dark, cunning eyes scanning her pretty face as he awaited a response. It was no secret that the two girls were close, perhaps that was another reason he’d kept his hands to himself---out of respect for Arielle, and the fact that she’d almost certainly never stop squeaking at him if he hadn’t. “I don’t need anything myself, no, but why don’t you tell me what it is you’re in such a rush for?” He stroked the underside of her wrist with the roughened pad of his thumb, there was no harm in soothing her obviously frazzled nerves, was there? “Arielle can wait. She’s very accustomed to that.”